Painting en Plein Air

Painting en Plein Air is an enriching way to learn more about painting, especially color and light. People who are new to painting on location often struggle with the aspect of changing light and how to capture the scene quickly.  They also seem less confident with drawing skills.  My next workshop at Linden Plantation will focus on drawing value studies with paint.  We will create value studies outdoors en plein air (weather permitting) and indoors from photographs.   With a few color notes, these value studies can then be developed into paintings in the studio. This process will give participants an opportunity to make comparisons between working onsite and working from photographs.

Peggy Burns has attended 3 workshops in the Linden series
“I attended Donna McGee’s workshop at Linden Plantation in MS and the venue was so beautiful and inspiring.  I had never done plein air painting before, but will from now on.  Donna opened my eyes to a new way of seeing and experiencing nature. The light and colors viewed while painting onsite are so rich and vibrant, while a photo taken at the time looks so washed out.  Donna provides instruction to meet each person at their own individual artist level. It was a great weekend, I learned a lot and hope to do it again in the future” Peggy Burns on Painting en Plein Air at Linden Plantation-- Peggy Burns, Spring 2018

Peggy's Paintings 

 

Tree Shadows Linden

Sunflower Field Linden

John Henry Slough

Landscape Painting Linden Plantation

 

        Easter at Linden, Oil,  14 X 11 Inches                Sunflower Field, Acrylic, 11 X 14 Inches                         John Henry Slough, Oil, 11 X 14 Inches

These three paintings (above) are from the landscape workshop series at Linden Plantation, spring, summer, and fall. I enjoy going back to a location to paint at different times in different lighting conditions.  I believe these three painting capture something of the freshness of spring, the heat and humidity of summer, and cool, golden of fall in the South. 

Next Workshop:

Landscape Painting with Donna McGee

Linden Plantation, Glen Allan, MS

3/1/2019 – 3/3/2019

Email: dfmcgee09@gmail.com

www.donnafmcgeefineart.com

www.espoutdoors.com/linden-plantation

Early Day

Early Day, en plein air, Cheniere Lake, oil painting (7" x 11")

en Plein Air painting workshop

Join us October 18 - 21, 2018 at Linden Plantation, Mississippi for an en plein workshop, presented by Donna McGee.

Cool Morning

Cool Morning, oil painting, en plein air, Cheniere Lake

Arched Root

Arched Root, oil painting, en plein air, Cheniere Lake (14" x 11")

Day's End

Day's End, oil painting, en plein air, Cheniere Lake (14" x 11")

Sundown Hunter

Sundown Hunter, Fluid Acrylic, 29 X 22 FR

Join me for the 49th Annual River Road Show September 4 - 27, 2018.  The exhibition is held at the Louisiana State Archives Building in Baton Rouge, 3851 Essen Lane. Reception: September 20, 5:30- 7:30. This national juried exhibition is hosted by the Art Guild of Louisiana.

Painting among the sunflowers at Linden Plantation, MS

Lots of fun was had at the Sunflower Retreat painting workshop at Linden Plantation, MS. Workshop participants learned a lot form Donna McGee's plein air instruction.

Sunflower en plein air painting retreat

oil painting by workshop participant Barbara during the Sunflower Painting Retreat at Linden Plantation, MS

Donna painting sunflowers at Linden Plantation

Donna painting sunflowers at Linden Plantation during a former workshop.

detail of painting by one of Donna's students. 

Donna, I enjoyed the en plein air Sunflower workshop at Linden Plantation so much. I learned so much about mixing the colors of nature and simplifying shapes. Thanks! Linda W.

Absorbing a Place

Sunflower Inspiration, Fluid Acrylic, 14 X 10.5 Inches

My studio work is inspired by my work en plein air and time spent outdoors. On the third day of the Sunflower Retreat, participants asked me to show them how I work in the studio.  I completed the above painting in 30 minutes in the Sunflower Field.  With bodies accustomed to air conditioning, July outdoors in the Mississippi delta is not for the faint at heart .  I had painted there en plein air for 3 days within a 2 week period.  One thing I have learned is that if you get into the place, the place will get into you. I have had some wonderful experiences while painting en plein air that have made me a richer person.  I think this is why so many people find reasons to be outdoors whether it is to hunt, hike, play, or paint.  I have hiking buddy that always encouraged me to "be in the moment". There is nothing that will help you "be in the moment" more than painting outdoors.

Sunflower Retreat

 Painting a field of Sunflowers without painting every flower.

Since I began painting outdoors I find painting from photos very limiting.  However, one of the hardest things for beginning painters en plein air seems to be not painting every detail.  Many people are accustomed to accepting the frozen camera view of reality, but in reality your eye sees the world very differently.  You see the field of flowers as moving shapes and colors while only seeing the details of the closest flowers. Sunflowers follow the sun until they are heavy with seed and can no longer turn their heads with the sun.   I painted with the sun over my left shoulder as I viewed the field. Still I found that the painting was more about suggestion of distance and color filled space than about contrast of value. Changes in color notes were subtle and that is what I concentrated on. 

  

Sunflower Field, Fluid Acrylic, 11 X 14 inches

Sunflower Painting Retreat

Sunflower Painting Retreat

Sunflower Painting Retreat with Donna F. McGee                                               July 13, 14, & 15, 2018

Linden Plantation, Glen Allan, MS

Look for more information about Donna's upcoming en plein air workshop at Linden Plantation!

Following in the tradition of Van Gogh, immerse yourself in the subject of sunflowers.  Sunflower Painting Retreat participants will paint en plein air (outdoors) in the mornings and directly from still life (indoors) in the afternoons.  Although photos may be used in some of the exercises, the focus is on painting from life, not from photographs.  Through both acrylic and oil demonstrations and exercises, Donna will share her approach to the tradition of en plein air. She’ll share her personal palette set-up, her unique color-mixing system, and her approach to composition for both landscape and still life. 

Topics include mixing nature’s colors, painting shapes and values, and understanding color temperature and value relationships.   Participants may work with either oil or acrylic.  Some painting experience is preferred.  For Donna’s materials’ lists, email her at dmcgee09@comcast.net.  Be sure to include information about the medium you will be using.

Painting on a cloudy Thursday at Linden

When planning for a workshop I like to arrive early and get in touch with the place.  Like everyone else I am overwhelmed by "something to paint" everywhere I look.  One of those spring southern storms moved through on Wednesday night. It was great hearing the rain on the roof of my cabin.  The next morning I went out to do some 30 minute warm-up paintings.  These little 5 X 7's can pack a lot into a small space. Although it was cloudy, there were good color contrasts and soft lights. The value range is tighter, but still good little paintings.  Sometimes colors look brighter against a darker blue-violet-grey sky.  Even the shady areas contain soft reflected light. 

Cloudy Thursday, Grain Bin, Oil on Canvas Panel, 5 X 7 Inches

Cloudy Thursday, Fallow Field, Oil on Canvas Panel, 5 X 7 Inches

Paintings from the Linden Workshop

Below are some of the paintings from the Linden Plein Air Retreat. Everyone got more comfortable as the 2nd day progressed, getting a new perspective on color and light. Also, they bravely tried my color mixing system rather than relying on tube colors. My photos are a little dark but you can see the different approaches..

 Linda's Painting done 2nd Day of workshop

 MJ's  Painting from the 2nd Day

Peggy's Painting from the 2nd Day

More of Linden Plantation

 Mary Jane 

 Noula

Peggy

We had perfect weather for my Plein Air Workshop.  Our Hosts really treated us "Delta Style" with delicious food and entertaining conversation.  Only a few reasons to return to the Delta for another workshop.

Painting en Plein Air at Linden Plantation

 My Demo Using 3 values to create a drawing, then Painting 

Color Values. Linden is a beautiful, peaceful spot. Watch for more workshop there in the near future.

Linda Snider Ward and her Painting of the Ginkgo Arch at Linden

Linden at Easter

Linden at Easter, Oil Plein Air, 14 X 11 inches

I  spent Easter weekend at Linden getting in touch with the place as preparation for my workshop April 27, 28, 29.